Game apparatus.



J. SGHULER & H. A. OVERBEGK,

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 191a.

Patented June 2, 1914.

g r\ o a O a -W M l h- N '1 I v 2: i

Q y b N a, J M .53

N U! LL w i f WITNESSES: H I INVENTORS: Joseph Sc/vu/er Q Harry A. Over-beck,

ATTORNEY Jackson,

UNITED s'rarns PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH scnursn, or KANSAS our, mssounr, Linn HARRY A. ovnnnndx, or mums,

, Tux-As.

GAME ArrAnArrus.

Specification Letters I'atent. Application filed January 6, 1913. Serial No. 740,387.

PatentedJune2,1914=.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH SCI-IULER and HARRY A. ()vrnnnon, citizens of the United States, residing at Kansas City, county of 'State of Missouri, and Dallas, county of Dallas, and State of Texas, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a game, in which the elements of chance, skill, and endurance constitute important factors in the successful playing of said game.

' apparatus is,

In carrying out our invention, we employ a series of pivotally. mounted scoring members adapted to be knocked down. by a suspended ball, struck by contestants armed with tennis rackets, -or like implements, and ranged on opposite sides of said scoring members.

The apparatus and small sizes, played either out doors or preferably,

employed is made in large so that the game can be indoors, and said made in knockdown form. so expense and will occupy but little space when not in use.

In order that the, invention may be fully understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1, is a.'i'ront elevation of the apparatus employed in carrying out our invention. Fig. 2, is a vertical cross section on line ll-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a plan view of one of a number of resilient clutches employed in normally holding the scoring members in upright position.

In carrying out the invention, we employ a pair of standards 1, mounted upon a pan of horizontal supporting members 2, having feet 3, at their ends for resting upon a floor or the surface of the ground. Standardsl,

have tenons 4; at, their lower ends which extend through centrally-disposed mortises 5' in supporting members 2, wherein said tenons are firmly secured by keys 6, driven through openings in the tenons and engag ing the undersides of the supporting membars 2. Standards 1 are further secured to the supporting members 2 by a plurality of braces 7 preferably, secure'd tfythe standards by bolts 8 and nuts 9, and to the supporting members 2 by lag-screws 10. Standards 1 are spaced apart by a beam 11, and rods 12 and 13, having threaded terminals extending that it can be shipped at small together. Rod 12 is supported intermediate its ends by a plurality ofbrackets 18, and carries a series. of scoring members 19- pivotally mounted thereon. The scorin memends and are spaced apart, so that they may move independently of each other, by washers 20 mounted upon rod 12, the two end hold the scoring members 19 fromlateral movement. Each scoring member 19 bears a number on each side thereof, indicating its point scoring value. While each scoring member bears at its opposite sides a number different in value to that'on its companions, the ser1es, preferably, is not consecutively numbered to render it more difiicult for the .ing members 1 9 are normally held in upright position as shown on Figs. 1 and '2, by. an equal number of resilient clutches 21, each of which engages the lower end of its' respective scoring member 19. Clutches 21' are suitably secured to the upper side of beam 11, and each is, substantially, U-shaped. in end elevation. In plan view, the sides of eaclifilu'tch member flare toward their outer open e ds 2'2. 'and are contracted at 23 to norma ly hold the lower end 01' its respective scoring member 19 in the large central space 24, Fig. 3. The flaring outer ends 22 act as guides in directing the lower end of the scoring member into the large central. space 2 1 of the clutch 21, when said scoring memberis adjusted to an upright position.

25 designates a ball or other missile whereby the scoring member 19 may be knocked down in either direction, as indicated by dotted lines on Fig 2. Said ball is suspended pendulum-like from a cable 26,

to slide longitudinally of rod 13 upon which it is mounted, the sliding movement of said -ring being limited only by a stop 29 near each end of the rod 13, to-prevent the cable bers 19,taper toward their upper an lower and securel hold the same and the beam 11 '65 most washers being fixed upon said rod to contestants to knock down the scoring mem-' bers containing the h gh numbers. The scorattached at its upper end to a ring 27 free 26 from winding around either of the standards 1 when the ball 25 is struck by one of the contestants.

In practice, the scoring members 19 are all arranged in upright position where they are held by their respective clutches 21. The contestants then range themselves on opposite sides of the scoring members 19 and with their rackets, or other implements, attempt to knock the ball 25 back and forth over the rod 13, so that upon reaching the end of the cable 26, said ball may swing back toward the scoring members and possibly knock one of the latter down unless intercepted by the opponent. In other words, in order to score, it i s necessary to project the ball over the rod 13, and have said ball knock downa scoring member as it -returns toward the contestant who projected it over said rod 18. Each contestant attempts to intercept the ball and prevent it from knocking down a scoring member as said ball is rojected to his side of the apparatus by iis opponent, and thus prevent said opponent from scoring. After all-the scoring members 19 have been knockeddown the V numbers of those knocked down against one likewise the numbers side of the beam 11, are to'talized, as are on those knocked down against the opposite side of said beam and the game is awarded to the contestant gaining the largest tota Should it be desirable to place the appaform for storage or readily accomplished frame consisting of ratus in knockdown shipment, it may be by taking apart the standards 1, supporting members 2, beam 11, v

and rods 12 and 13. c T

. While we have shown the preferred form of our invention, we of course reserve the right to make such changes'in construction, proportions, and arrangement of parts as properly fall within'the spirit and scope oi the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: r

-l. A game apparatus of the character de- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five.cents each, by

Washington, 1L0.

scribed, consisting of a pair of supporting members, standards carried by said supporting members, means for spacing said standards apart, consisting of a beam and an upper and lower rod, a series of scoring members pivotally-mounted upon the lower rod, clutches on the beam to normally hold the scoring members in vertical position, and a missile freely supported from the upper-rod for knocking the scoring members down.

scribed, consisting of scoring members pivotally-mounted, clutches to normally hold said scoring members in upright position, said clutches having open ends to permit their respective scoring members to fall in opposite directions, and a suspended missile to knock the scoring members in opposite directions.

3. A game apparatus of the character de-, scribed, consisting of scoring members pivotally-mounted in a row, open-ended grooyes to normally hold said scoring members in upright position, said grooves havii'ig large central spaces to receive the lower ends of the scoring member and outwardly flaring ends, and a suspended missile for knocking the scoring members in opposite directions.

4. A game apparatus of the character de scribed, consisting of a row of scoring members pivotally-mounted to fallin opposite directions, a 'rod supported directly above and in linewith said row of scoring members,-a ring slidable upon said rod, a cable attached at its upper end to said ring, and a missile attached to'the lower end of said cable and adapted to knock the scoring members in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH SCHULER. HARRY A. OVERBECK. Witnesses:

F. G. Fisonnn, L. J. FISCHER.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

2. A game apparatus of the character de- 

